DELIVERED    AT   THE 


INAUGURATION  OF  THE  PERKINS  PROFESSOR 


i 


a 


OF 


statural  Btuim  in  €tsmmim  tohjj  ^chelation, 


BEFORE  THE 


BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


OF   THE 


K  SYNOD  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA  AND  GEORGIA,    *jfc 


AT 


MARIETTA,  GEORGIA,  NOVEMBER  22,  1861, 


Rev.  JAMES  WOODKOW,  Ph.  D.,  M.  D. 


» 


COLUMBIA,   S.  C: 

SOUTHERN  GUARDIAN  STEAM-POWER  PRESS. 

1862. 


7  (&\£>J' 


^'Ivferf 


AN    ADDRESS 


DELIVERED   AT   THE 


INAUGURATION  OF  THE  PERKINS  PROFESSOR 


OF 


Hateral  S&twtet  in  Comttritra  foiijj  ^efetlafiau, 


BEFORE   THE 


BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


SYNOD  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA  AND  GEORGIA, 


AT 


MARIETTA,  GEORGIA,  NOVEMBER  22,  1861, 


BY   THE 


Rev.  JAMES  WOODKOW,  Ph.  D.,  M.  D. 


COLUMBIA,   S.  C: 

SOUTHERN  GUARDIAN  STEAM-POWER  PRESS. 

1862. 


I 


INAUGURAL    ADDRESS. 


Fathers  and  Brethren  of  the  Board  of  Directors 

of  the  Theological  Seminary : 

On  entering  formally  upon  the  discharge  of  the  duties 
of  the  office  into  which  I  have  just  been  inducted,  I  beg 
leave  to  express  the  deep  feeling  of  responsibility  which 
oppresses  me,  and  of  self-distrust,  which  would  have  pre- 
vented my  listening  to  the  call  to  it,  had  I  believed  that  I 
was  free  to  decide  in  accordance  with  my  own  opinion  ot 
my  fitness.  But  without  obtruding  upon  you  an  account 
of  the  many  reasons  which  would  have  induced  me  to 
refuse  it,  clustering  more  or  less  closely  around  the  one 
already  presented,  permit  me  to  say  that  I  did  not  dare  to 
yield  to  them,  because  the  Synod  of  Georgia,  in  appointing 
me  to  this  office,  did  not  act  so  hastily  that  I  might  have 
regarded  their  appointment  as  the  result  6*f  accident.  And 
hence,  although  I  can  not  shake  off  the  anxious  fear  that 
they  have  been  mistaken  in  the  estimate  which  led  them 
to  make  the  choice,  I  may  not  do  otherwise  than  obey,  and 
go  forward  in  the  path  which  has  been  set  before  me,  trust- 
ing in  the  judgment  of  the  Church  Court  which  called  me, 
rather  than  in  my  own ;  and  above  all,  relying  for  wisdom 
and  understanding  upon  the  Infinite  Source  of  light  and 
knowledge. 

The  oppressive  feeling  of  responsibility  is  greatly  in- 
creased by  the  fact  that  I  have  been  called,  not  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  an  office  already  well  known,  in  which  the 
experience  of  many  predecessors  affords  guidance,  but  to 


4  Inaugural  Address. 

organize  an  entirely  new  department  of  instruction,  with- 
out a  single  similar  chair  in  any  theological  school,  either 
in  America  or  Europe,  to  serve  as  a  model.  There  is,  it  is 
true,  a  chair  of  Natural  Science  in  the  New  (Theological) 
College  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  at  Edinburgh ;  but 
it  is  so  different  in  its  design  from  that  which  you  have 
established,  that  it  forms  no  exception.  "The  peculiar 
business  of  its  course  consists  in  an  illustration  of  the  three 
following  branches,  into  which  natural  science  may  be 
divided:  I.  Synthology;  II.  Biology;  III.  Geology."  And 
it  is  regarded  as  merely  "destined  to  embrace  a  practical 
course  of  natural  theology."*  The  task  assigned  me  is 
all  the  more  difficult  on  account  of  the  various  and  even 
conflicting  views  which  prevail  respecting  its  nature,  and 
the  brief  and  somewhat  indefinite  instructions  given  in  the 
resolutions  of  the  Synods  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  and 
Alabama,  by  which  the  chair  was  established.  For  these 
reasons,  I  wish  to  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  pre- 
sent to  you  my  own  views  as  to  what  you  have  given  me 
to  do,  and  the  mode  and  spirit  in  which  it  is  to  be  done,  in 
order  that,  if  I  have  not  mistaken  your  design,  I  may  go 
forward  the  more  confidently;  and  if  I  have  misappre- 
hended it,  that  J  may  have  the  benefit  of  your  counsels 
and  your  instructions  in  changing,  restricting,  or  extending 
my  plans. 

The  need  of  some  means  of  giving  to  our  theological 
students  a  more  thorough  acquaintance  with  natural  sci- 
ence, as  far  as  it  has  any  real  or  imaginary  connexion  with 
revelation,  has  long  been  felt ;  for  it  has  been  evident, 
especially  during  the  last  fifty  years,  that  disbelief  in  the 
word  of  God  has  been  relying  for  its  support  and  its  justi- 
fication, before  the  reasoning  world,  more  and  more  upon 
the  several  branches  of  natural  science.     The  arguments 

*  Introductory  Lecture :  By  John  Fleming,  D.  D. 


Inaugural  Address.  5 

brought  forward  in  defence  of  the  truth,  have  often  been 
characterized  by  such  ignorance  of  the  actual  nature  and 
force  of  the  objections  urged  against  it,  that  they  have,  not 
unfrequently,  been  injurious  to  the  cause  defended,  and 
promotive  of  the  scepticism  attacked.  This  has  always 
been  the  case  to  a  painful  extent,  as  well  as  at  present, 
when  perverted  science  furnishes  infidelity  with  so  large  a 
proportion  of  its  weapons.  The  most  excellent  works  of 
many  divines,  in  every  age  and  every  branch  of  the 
Church,  have  too  often  been  marred  by  ineptitudes  and 
fanciful  absurdities,  whenever  they  have  touched  the  ma- 
terial works  of  God.  But  it  has  only  comparatively  re- 
cently become  important  that  the  connexion  between  the 
works  and  the  word  of  God  should  be  made  the  subject 
of  special  study  in  a  theological  course.  It  has  become 
so  now,  by  the  increased  number  of  points  of  supposed 
contact,  and  the  wide  prevalence  of  the  opinion,  in  almost 
every  community,  and  among  all  classes  of  people,  that  the 
relation  subsisting  is  that  of  antagonism.  Our  ministers 
have  by  no  means  been  behind  the  age  in  this  field  of 
knowledge,  as  has  often  been  tauntingly  said;  but  they 
have  not  all  been  sufficiently  in  advance  of  it.  Here,  as 
in  every  thing  else  which  will  fit  them  to  understand  fully 
the  Word  which  they  preach,  to  refute  the  sophisms  of 
unbelievers,  and  to  remove  the  doubts  of  those  whose  faith 
has  been  shaken,  they  should  be,  if  possible,  far  beyond 
those  whom  they  would  teach. 

It  has  been  perceived,  by  all  who  can  appreciate  the 
amount  of  study  and  investigation  involved,  that  the  dis- 
cussion of  these  topics  embraces  too  wide  a  range  to  suffer 
it  to  be  attached,  without  great  detriment,  to  existing  de- 
partments of  instruction.  It  has  been  wisely  thought  that 
it  would  be  better  to  leave  it  untouched,  than  to  place  it 
where  it  could  not  receive  proper  attention  from  either 
instructor  or  instructed ;  for  it  has  been  chiefly  imperfect, 


6  Inaugural  Address. 

one-sided  views  that  have  given  rise  to  the  wide-spread 
belief  that  there  is  antagonism.  It  would  only  have  aggra- 
vated the  evil  to  have  intrusted  the  new  department  to 
any  one  who  was  already  fully'occupied,  as  each  professor 
should  be,  with  the  appropriate  duties  of  his  own  chair. 

The  first  step  in  our  Church  Courts,  looking  to  the  sup- 
ply of  the  want  so  generally  felt,  which  led  to  any  definite 
result,  was  taken  by  the  Presbytery  of  Tombeckbee,  in  the 
autumn  of  1857;  when  the  following  preamble  and  resolu- 
tions, introduced  and  warmly  supported  by  the  Kev.  Dr. 
James  A.  Lyon,  of  Columbus,  Mississippi — to  whom  this' 
chair  owes  so  much,  from  its  inception  to  its  final  establish- 
ment— and  as  warmly  supported  by  the  Eev.  Eichard  S. 
Gladney,  of  Aberdeen,  were  unanimously  adopted,  viz. : 

"  Whereas,  We  live  in  an  age  in  which  the  most  insidious 
attacks  are  made  upon  revealed  religion  through  the  natu- 
ral sciences;  and  as  it  behooves  the  Church,  at  all  times,  to 
have  men  capable  of  defending  the  faith  once  delivered  to 
the  saints,  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  this  Presbytery  recommend  the  endow- 
ment of  a  professorship  of  the  natural  sciences  as  con- 
nected with  revealed  religion,  in  one  or  more  of  our 
theological  seminaries,  and  would  cheerfully  recommend 
our  churches  to  contribute  their  full  proportion  of  funds 
for  said  endowment. 

"Resolved,  That  the  same  be  brought  before  our  Synod 
(of  Mississippi)  at  its  next  meeting  for  consideration."* 

The  Synod  of  Mississippi  subsequently,  at  its  meeting  in 
1858,  unanimously  approved  this  proceeding  of  the  Pres- 
bytery, and  "cordially  recommended  the  same  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  next  General  Assembly." 

*  Southern  Presbyterian  Keview,  Yol.  XII.,  p.  182. 


Inaugural  Address.  7 

In  the  mean  time,  the  attention  of  the  Hon.  Judge  John 
Perkins,  of  "The  Oaks,"  near  Columbus,  Mississippi,  was 
directed  to  the  subject,  by  frequent  conversations  with  his 
friend  and  pastor,  the  Eev.  Dr.  Lyon.  Already  fully  con- 
vinced of  its  importance,  his  purpose  to  cooperate  must 
have  been  strengthened  by  the  illustration  before  him,  in 
the  neighboring  city  of  Columbus,  of  the  use  made  of  the 
natural  sciences  by  sceptics,  and  of  the  great  value  of  a 
studied  acquaintance  with  these  sciences,  and  their  true 
relations  to  revealed  religion,  as  evinced  iu  the  triumph  of 
his  pastor  over  all  unbelieving  assaults.  Judge  Perkins 
had  previously  determined  to  consecrate  a  princely  sum  to 
the  purposes  of  theological  education;  and  now  his  resolu- 
tion was  taken  to  devote  a  portion  of  it  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  proposed  professorship.  He  munificently 
offered,  first,  the  sum  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  its 
endowment  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Columbia;  and 
subsequently,  supplemented  this  amount  with  ten  thousand 
dollars  more,  that  the  chair  might  be  amply  and  generously 
sustained.  The  Board  of  Directors  most  gladly  accepted 
the  princely  offer;  and,  on  the  15th  of  January,  1859,  the 
arrangements  respecting  the  donation  were  consummated ; 
the  Seminary  having  been  aided  here,  too,  by  the  inval- 
uable services  of  the  same  sterling  friend  to  whom  it  had. 
been  so  deeply  indebted  at  every  other  step. 

The  written  instrument  of  gift,  of  the  above  date,  con- 
veying the  sum  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  the  Seminary, 
of  which  twenty  thousand  dollars  was  for  other  purposes, 
"  Witnesseth,  That  whereas  the  said  John  Perkins  is  anxious 
and  desirous  of  making  an  investment  of  funds  during  his 
life,  which  will  be  a  permanent  source  of  good  to  his  fel- 
low-creatures after  his  death :  and  whereas  he  is  fully  satis- 
fied that  the  greatest  good  in  his  power  to  bestow  upon  his 
fellow-men  may  be  effected  by  and  through  the  Board  of 
Directors  above  mentioned,  in  the  manner,  way,  and  under 


8  Inaugural  Address. 

the  restrictions  hereinafter  mentioned  and  stated:  Now, 
for  and  in  consideration  of  the  premises,  the  said  John 
Perkins  hath  given,  granted,  and  donated,  and  doth  by 
these  presents  give,  grant,  and  donate,  unto  the  said  Board 
of  Directors,  and  their  successors  in  office,  the  sum  of  fifty 
thousand  dollars;"  *  *  *  *  "under  the  following  condi- 
tions, purposes,  objects,  plans,  restrictions,  and  stipulations; 
that  is  to  say:  First,  as  we  live  in  an  age  in  which  the 
most  insidious  attacks  are  made  upon  revealed  religion 
through  the  natural  sciences;  and  as  it  becomes  the 
Church,  at  all  times,  to  have  men  capable  of  defending 
the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  Church,  it  is  the  object  and 
design  of  the  said  John  Perkins,  and  it  is  hereby  ordered, 
and  directed,  and  made,  by  these  presents,  one  of  the  con- 
ditions, restrictions,  and  stipulations  of  said  gift,  that  thirty 
thousand  dollars  of  the  same  shall  be  vested,  as  a  perma- 
nent fund,  for  the  endowment  of  a  professorship  in  said 
Theological  Seminary,  of  the  Natural  Sciences  as  con- 
nected with  Revealed  Religion. "*  In  October,  November, 
and  December,  of  the  same  year  (1859),  the  Synods  of 
South  Carolina,  Alabama,  and  Georgia,  in  accordance  with 
your  recommendation,  adopted  the  following  resolution : 

"Resolved,  That  in  accordance  with  the  conditions  an- 
nexed to  the  generous  donation  of  Judge  Perkins,  there  be 
added  to  the  existing  departments  of  instruction  in  the 
Seminary,  a  chair,  to  be  entitled  the  Perkins  Professorship 
of  Natural  Science  in  connexion  with  Revelation ;  the  de- 
sign of  which  shall  be  to  evince  the  harmony  of  science 
with  the  records  of  our  faith,  and  to  refute  the  objections 
of  infidel  naturalists." 

And  thus  the  establishment  of  the  chair  was  completed; 
and  that,  without  trenching  upon  the  ordinary  resources  of 

*  Minutes  of  Synod  of  South  Carolina,  1859,  p.  43. 


Inaugural  Address.  9 

the  Church;  but  attended,  rather,  by  such  a  consecration 
of  wealth  to  the  service  of  God  as  is  well  fitted  to  stimu- 
late others  to  devote,  in  a  similar  manner,  freely,  and 
during  their  life-time,  and  while  that  which  they  give  is 
still  their  own,  the  substance  which  they  have  received 
from  the  bountiful  hand  of  God.  To  Mississippi,  exclu- 
sively, is  the  Seminary  indebted  for  it;  inasmuch  as  it 
originated  in  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Lyon,  in  the  Presbytery  of 
Tombeckbee;  it  was  cordially  recommended  by  the  Synod 
of  Mississippi ;  and  its  ample  pecuniary  basis  was  pro- 
vided by  the  distinguished  citizen  of  Mississippi,  whose 
honored  name  it  bears.  Thus,  immediately  after  the 
Synod  of  Alabama  had  adopted  the  "  Seminary  as  their 
own,  to  cherish  and  care  for,  support,  help,  and  encourage 
it,"  the  sister  State  on  her  western  border  made  good  her 
claim  to  it  as  her  own,  too,  in  an  eminently  practical  and 
praiseworthy  manner. 

The  Synod  of  Georgia,  to  which  belonged  the  choice  of 
the  professor,  postponed  the  election  for  a  year,  assigning 
as  the  reason,  that  the  Synod  "  feels  so  deeply  the  responsi- 
bility of  proceeding  to  an  election  which  will  be  final,  and 
which  will  involve  so  much  the  future  character  of  our 
Theological  Seminary,"  that  it  "decides  that  it  is  for  the 
best  interests  of  our  Church  to  pause,  and  postpone  an 
election  to  said  professorship,  until  our  next  regular  annual 
meeting,  in  1860."  At  that  meeting,  they  made  their 
choice.  And  now,  Fathers  and  Brethren  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  though  with  many  misgivings,  and  with  anxious 
solicitude  lest  I  prove  unable  to  occupy  properly  the  posi- 
tion assigned  me,  I  have  obeyed  the  call,  and  have  come 
to  ask  your  further  counsel  for  my  direction,  if  I  have  in 
any  respect  failed  to  understand  the  designs  of  the  Church. 

The  general  design  is  evident  enough :  but  there  are  at 
least  three  methods  by  which  it  may  be  executed;  and 
hence  arises  the  doubt :  for  it  may  be  intended  that  each 
2 


10  Inaugural  Address. 

shall  receive  equal  attention,  and  the  special  objects  of 
each  be  aimed  at ;  or  only  one  of  them,  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  others;  or  one  chiefly,  and  the  others  subordinately. 
In  the  first  place,  the  harmony  in  question  may  be  evinced 
by  showing  that  science  proves  the  existence  of  God,  and 
that  He  has  attributes  identical,  as  far  as  she  reveals  them, 
with  such  as  are  ascribed  to  Him  in  His  word.  From  the 
observation,  both  of  the  "general  order  prevailing  in  the 
material  world,"  and  of  the  "special  adaptations"  of  ob- 
jects to  the  purposes  which  they  are  to  serve,  the  being 
and  the  unity  of  God  may  be  inferred,  and  also  His  wis- 
dom, power,  and  goodness.  If  we  proceed  in  this  direc- 
tion, the  work  will  be  to  present  the  outlines  of  Natural 
Theology,  as  ordinarily  understood,  and  to  compare  its 
doctrines  with  those  of  Revealed  Theology:  to  develop 
the  Apostle's  declaration,  that  "the  invisible  things  of  God, 
from  the  creation  of  the  world,  are  clearly  seen,  being 
understood  by  the  things  that  are  made,  even  His  eternal 
power  and  Godhead";  to  examine  how  the  heavens,  and 
all  His  other  wonderful  works,  "declare  the  glory  of  God." 
In  the  next  place,  the  harmony  may  be  evinced  by 
observing  the  analogy  which  subsists  between  nature  and 
revelation,  in  other  respects  than  those  which  it  belongs 
to  natural  theology  to  consider.  From  .the  analogy  ob- 
served between  them,  from  the  "identity  of  their  style," 
and  from  the  similarity  of  the  difficulties  in  each,  it  be- 
comes evident  that  both  have  proceeded  from  the  same 
hand.  In  pursuing  this  course,  natural  science  is  found 
to  present  much,  which,  while  it  might  be  presumptuous 
to  say  that  it  confirms  the  truths  of  revelation,  at  least 
illustrates  them,  and  enables  us  to  understand  them  more 
clearly,  to  grasp  them  more  firmly,  and  to  overcome  objec- 
tions which  might  otherwise  be  perplexing.  When  we 
have  been  habituated  to  contemplate  the  almost  illimitable 
extent  of  creation,  and  its  almost  immeasurable  past  dura- 


Inaugural  Address.  11 

tion,  which  science  makes  known,  the  words,  infinite  and 
eternal,  are  of  vastly  grander  significance  to  us,  although 
we  still  utterly  fail  to  comprehend  them  in  their  fullness. 
When  we  have  "been  listening  to  the  lessons  of  science 
concerning  the  care  which  the  Creator  takes  of  all  his 
creatures,  down  to  the  minutest,  and  those  which  we  so 
often  proudty  regard  as  beneath  our  notice,  we  must  find 
it  easier  to  understand  the  lessons  of  the  Word  concerning 
His  constant  provident  watchfulness  in  our  behalf.  When 
we  have  become  familiar  with  the  numerous  interruptions 
of  absolute  uniformity  in  the  flow  of  events  in  the  history 
of  our  earth,  and  with  the  beginnings  of  new  orders  of 
things,  which  science  reveals  to  us,  so  entirely  independent 
of  the  antecedent  ordinary  course  of  nature,  the  objections 
of  the  subtle  sophist  to  the  possibility  of  the  miracles  by 
which  the  Word  is  authenticated,  can  not  give  U3  any 
uneasiness;  for  they  are  too  palpably  inconsistent  with 
what  we  thus  come  to  know  of  other  departments  of  God's 
government.  We  are,  indeed,  rather  led  to  anticipate  that 
there  will  be  in  the  moral  world  extraordinary  events, 
which  we  can  not  assign  to  ordinary  causes,  just  as  there 
have  so  often  been  in  the  material  world.  Science  further 
illustrates,  in  numberless  ways,  many  other  truths  of  rev- 
elation ;  and  when  it  fails  to  do  this,  when  it  fails  to  throw 
light  upon  the  mysteries  contained  in  the  Word,  it  presents 
us  with  other  mysteries  of  its  own,  which  must,  at  least, 
effectually  keep  us  back  from  the  folly  of  rejecting  the 
Word,  because  of  its  sayings  dark  and  hard  to  be  under- 
stood. 

In  the  third  place,  it  may  be  the  design  of  the  profes- 
sorship to  evince  the  harmony  only  where  it  has  been 
doubted  or  denied,  or  where  opinions  prevailing  among 
scientific  men  either  are,  or  are  supposed  to  be,  inconsistent 
with  our  sacred  records ;  in  other  words,  to  scrutinize  the 
nature  and  the  force  of  current  and  popular  objections  to 


12  Inaugural  Address. 

the  Scriptures;  to  meet  them,  and  to  set  them  aside,  by 
proving  that  they  spring  either  from  science  falsely  so 
called,  or  from  incorrect  interpretations  of  the  words  of 
the  Holy  Bible.  This  would  involve  a  careful  study  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  the  various  branches  of  science 
from  which  the  objections  are  drawn,  and  of  their  details, 
carried  far  enough  to  enable  one  to  judge  correctly  of  the 
amount  of  truth  in  each  objection.  It  would  involve, 
further,  the  careful  study  of  the  principles  of  biblical  in- 
terpretation, as  far  as  these  relate  to  the  mode  in  which 
the  works  of  God  are  spoken  of.  The  comparison  of  the 
results  obtained  thus,  if  the  processes  have  been  properly 
conducted,  must  inevitably  evince  entire  harmony,  or,  at 
least,  the  entire  absence  of  discord. 

Now,  it  is  this  last  which  I  regard  as  constituting  the 
field  on  which  most  labor  is  to  be  expended ;  not  that  the 
first  two  are  to  be  wholly  neglected:  but  this  chiefly 
embraces  the  duties  of  the  professorship. 

If  this  view  is  the  true  one,  it  will  be  proper  to  look 
more  closely  at  some  of  the  details  included  in  the  plan. 
What,  then,  are  some  of  the  leading  points  of  supposed 
antagonism  between  science  and  revelation  ? 

It  is  affirmed,  on  the  oue  hand,  that  the  Sacred  Scriptures 
explicitly  teach  that  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  embraciDg 
the  whole  material  universe,  were  brought  out  of  absolute 
non-existence  not  quite  six  thousand  years  ago ;  and  that, 
from  the  time  when  matter  began  to  exist,  from  the  first 
beginning  of  creation,  until  the  creation  of  the  first  human 
being,  not  quite  six  days  elapsed;  that  the  work  of  creating 
and  preparing  this  earth  to  be  the  abode  of  man,  and  of 
creating  all  animals  that  have  ever  existed,  with  man  at 
their  head,  was  begun,  carried  on,  and  ended,  within  the 
first  six  days  of  time.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  maintained 
that  we  learn,  from  the  investigation  of  the  structure  of 
the  earth,  and  of  the  causes  by  which  the  peculiarities  of 


Inaugural  Address.  13 

its  structure  have  been  produced,  that,  instead  of  six  days, 
the  whole  period  that  has  elapsed  since  the  creation  of 
man  is  an  exceedingly  minute  portion  of  the  time  since 
the  first  animals,  whose  remains  still  exist,  were  created ; 
and  that  the  earth  had  been  in  existence  during  a  period 
immeasurably  beyond  our  power  to  measure,  prior  to  the 
creation  of  the  first  living  being  that  has  left  any  trace  of 
its  having  been  an  inhabitant  of  the  earth;  that  the  crea- 
tion of  man  and  contemporaneous  animals  is  really  one  of 
the  most  recent  events  in  the  earth's  history;  that  the 
world,  during  almost  inconceivable  periods  of  time,  had 
been  preparing  for  man's  abode ;  during  part  of  which 
time,  it  was  apparently  without  life,  and,  during  the  rest, 
it  was  the  dwelling  place  of  successive  races  of  organized 
beings,  not  one  of  which  remained  alive  when  man  re- 
ceived it,  perfectly  fitted  to  be  his  home. 

Intimately  connected  with  many  of  the  facts  involved  in 
the  discussion  of  this  point,  is  the  epiestion  relating  to  the 
introduction  of  death  into  our  world,  and  even  into  the 
universe.  It  is  evident  that  those  who  maintain  the  views 
last  presented,  can  not  believe  that  there  was  no  death  in 
the  world  until  after  man  had  sinned.  They  further  insist 
that  we  may  be  convinced  that  man's  sin  had  nothing  to 
do  with  the  death  of  the  lower  animals,  by  an  examination 
of  the  structure  of  the  teeth,  claws,  organs  of  digestion, 
and  other  parts  of  existing  carnivorous  animals,  which 
were  created  at  the  same  time  with  man.  They  receive 
with  incredulity  the  suggestion,  that  the  untold  myriads  of 
animals,  which  they  call  pre-Adamic,  perished  in  anticipa- 
tion of  man's  sin;  and  they  utterly  reject,  as  equally  incon- 
sistent with  natural  history  and  the  Scriptures,  the  suppo- 
sition that  the  carnivorous  structure  may  have  been  the 
result  of  a  modification  of  that  previously  belonging  to 
graminivorous  animals.  Opposed  to  this  is  the  belief  that 
the   Scriptures    teach    that   death  was    utterly   unknown 


14  Inaugural  Address. 

before  the  fall  of  man ;  and  that  when  we  read  that  "  by 
one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin," 
not  man's  death  alone  is  spoken  of,  but  all  death;  the 
death  of  the  simplest  and  minutest  animalcule,  as  well  as 
of  the  sinning  lord  of  creation. 

Another  instance  of  antagonism  is  furnished  by  the  op- 
posite views  respecting  the  Noachian  deluge.  The  Bible, 
we  are  told,  teaches,  most  unequivocally,  that  the  waters 
of  that  deluge  spread  over  the  whole  earth,  and  that  they 
stood  not  less  than  fifteen  cubits  above  the  highest  summits 
of  the  Himalayas,  the  Andes,  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the 
Alps,  and  the  loneliest  desolations  of  the  icy  Arctic  deserts, 
never  seen  by  human  eye,  as  well  as  the  highest  hills  and 
mountains  of  Mesopotamia,  and  the  adjoining  regions,  to 
which  man's  habitations  may  have  extended:  and  that  the 
whole  earth,  with  all  its  distinct  zoological  regions  oblit- 
erated for  the  time,  was  entirely  destitute  of  every  breathing 
thing,  except  those  preserved  with  Noah,  and  his  sons,  and 
their  wives,  in  the  ark.  Others  find  in  nature  reasons 
which  absolutely  forbid  their  belief  of  such  propositions. 
They  find  that  the  number  of  animals  which  would  need 
the  ark's  protection  is  far  beyond  its  capacity;  that  if  it 
were  not,  passing  by  the  impossibility  of  all  existing  under 
the  same  climate  for  a  whole  year,  without  a  constant 
miracle,  they  find  the  geographical  distribution  of  animals 
to  be  such  that  their  collection,  from  remote  continents 
and  islands  of  the  sea,  from  the  burning  inter-tropical 
deserts,  and  the  ice-bound  fastnesses  around  the  poles, 
and,  still  more,  that  their  re-distribution  to  their  present 
homes,  involves  an  expenditure  of  miracle  which  is  incred- 
ibly disproportionate  to  the  end  in  view ;  the  destruction  of 
corrupt  mankind  by  a  flood  of  waters. 

The  question  of  the  unity  of  the  human  race  brings  to 
view  another  point  of  direct  antagonism  between  some 
votaries  of  science  and  all  believers  in  the  Bible.     The 


Inaugural  Address.  15 

Bible  is  held  to  teach,  with  a  clearness  that  can  not  be  mis- 
understood, both  directly  and  by  implication,  that  the 
whole  human  family  is  descended  from  the  single  pair, 
Adam  and  Eve;  the  inspired  Apostle's  saying  is  quoted, 
"God,  that  made  tbe  world  and  all  things  therein  *  *  * 
hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men  for  to  dwell 
on  all  the  face  of  the  earth:"  and  this  oneness  is  necessa- 
rily implied  in  the  doctrines  of  original  sin,  the  federal 
headship  of  Adam,  and  the  atonement  of  Christ.  It  is 
impossible  to  admit  any  doubt  as  to  this  unity,  and  at  the 
same  time  believe  in  the  truth  of  the  most  vital  doctrines 
of  our  religion.  And  yet,  it  is  most  strenuously  main- 
tained by  many,  of  no  small  repute  in  the  scientific  world, 
that  numerous  branches  of  knowledge  conspire  to  prove 
this  dogma  false,  and  to  demonstrate  the  diversity  of  hu- 
man origin.  The  white,  black,  red,  yellow,  and  brown 
races,  with  many  intermediate,  are  held  to  be  distiuct 
species  of  animals,  descended  from  different  ancestors ; 
closely  allied  to  one  another,  it  may  be,  but  not  more  so 
than  many  species  of  the  lower  animals,  universally  ad- 
mitted to  be  distinct.  This  is  supposed  to  be  demonstrated 
by  the  diversities  in  their  anatomical  and  physiological 
characteristics,  and  by  the  difference  in  their  mental  con- 
stitution; by  the  constancy  of  these  diversities,  as  proved 
by  pictures  on  the  monuments  of  Egypt;  by  the  determi- 
nation of  "the  bounds  of  their  habitations"  by  natural 
laws,  just  as  rigidly  as  the  bounds  of  the  habitations  of 
any  other  animals.  For  similar  reasons,  it  is  further  main- 
tained, not  merely  that  the  human  genus  has  descended 
from  many  pairs  of  ancestors,  but,  also,  that  these  were 
distributed  geographically  at  the  time  of  their  introduc- 
tion, as  we  now  find  their  descendants. 

In  support  of  these  doctrines,  and  others  which  have*  some 
connexion  with  natural  science,  several  other  branches  of 
knowledge  are  appealed  to  continually;  and  the  considera- 


16  Inaugural  Address. 

tion  of  these,  as  far  as  they  are  supposed  to  affect  such 
doctrines,  and,  therefore,  the  truth  of  the  Bible,  may  be 
fairly  regarded  as  coming  within  the  confines  of  this  de- 
partment; all  the  more  reasonably,  since  they  are,  as  regards 
their  connexion  with  revelation,  always  classed  in  the 
popular  mind  with  the  sciences  which  belong  to  it  under  a 
stricter  definition  of  its  terms.  Of  this  nature  is  a  knowl- 
edge of  Egypt,  and  her  monuments  and  their  inscriptions, 
which  are  represented  as  teaching  many  a  lesson  totally 
irreconcilable  with  our  sacred  records;  and  a  knowledge 
of  the  antiquities  of  the  Chinese,  the  Hindoos,  and  other 
Eastern  nations,  whose  established  chronology,  it  is  claimed, 
sets  aside,  by  irrefragable  proofs,  that  of  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures as  entirely  worthless,  the  fabrication  of  some  modern 
sciolist.  Indeed,  the  whole  subject  of  chronology,  as  far 
as  it  is  not  included  within  the  department  of  biblical 
exegesis,  and  every  part  of  archaeology,  with  a  similar 
exception,  would,  if  this  extension  be  just,  also  claim  in- 
vestigation from  this  chair.  It  would  involve  too  minute 
details,  if  the  attempt  were  made  to  enumerate  the  points 
of  opposition  which  are  alleged  to  exist  in  this  direction. 
I  will  mention  but  one,  which  clearly  illustrates  the  neces- 
sity of  embracing  the  subjects  just  specified.  As  before 
stated,  it  is  held  that  the  Bible  teaches  that  man  was  cre- 
ated less  than  six  thousand  years  ago.  In  opposition  to 
this,  we  are  told  that,  although  man  was  introduced  at  a 
late  period  of  the  earth's  history,  he  has  been  in  existence 
not  less  than  from  thirty  thousand  to  one  hundred  thou- 
sand years;  and  that  this  has  been  proved  by  the  archse- 
ological  monuments  and  the  authentic  chronology  of  many 
nations,  no  less  than  by  geology  and  palaeontology. 

These  are  some  of  the  questions,  showing  the  nature  of 
all,  which  I  regard  it  as  my  chief  duty  to  examine  and  to 
discuss  before  the  classes  in  the  Seminary.  What  is  the 
method  to  be  pursued  in  doing  this :  in  what  spirit  are  the 


Inaugural  Address.  17 

investigations  to  be  carried  on:  and  what  results  may  be 
anticipated  ? 

It  is  evident  that  it  will  be  impossible  to  ascertain 
whether  science  and  revelation  agree  or  disagree,  without 
an  intimate  acquaintance  with  both,  as  far  as  they  are  to 
be  compared.  To  gain  this,  then,  would  seem  to  be  the 
first  thing  to  be  done.  While  thus  engaged,  the  most 
untrammelled  freedom  of  inquiry  must  be  allowed ;  and 
on  both  classes  of  subjects,  our  decisions  must  be  regulated 
by  their  proper  evidence.  In  this  preliminary  investiga- 
tion, we  must  neither  be  governed  in  our  views  of  natural 
science  by  what  we  may  have  believed  to  be  taught  in  the 
Bible ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  must  we  do  violence  to  the 
words  of  the  Bible,  under  the  influence  of  our  belief  in 
any  supposed  teachings  of  science.  There  must  be  the 
most  unbiassed  readiness  to  accept  as  truth  whatever  is 
proved.  And  yet,  at  the  same  time  that  we  advance  with 
the  fullest  liberty,  it  should  be  with  the  profoundcst  humility 
and  distrust  of  our  own  powers,  joined  with  the  deepest 
reverence  for  all  that  God  makes  known  to  us,  both  in  His 
works  and  His  word.  Under  the  influence  of  such  feel- 
ings, and  proceeding  with  the  firm  conviction  that  truth, 
like  its  Author,  is  one,  we  can  hardly  fail  to  make  progress 
in  all  attainable  knowledge ;  while  we  will  be  kept  from 
the  folly  of  believing  that  there  are  real  inconsistencies, 
demonstrating  error  on  one  side  or  other,  merely  because 
we  have  not  succeeded  in  comprehending  the  actual  mode 
in  which  the  different  sections  of  the  truth  are  related  to 
each  other.  Believing  firmly  and  cordially  that  every  part 
of  the  Bible  is  the  very  word  of  God,  and  that,  therefore, 
every  part  of  it  is  absolutely  true,  in  the  sense  in  which  it 
was  the  design  of  its  real  Author,  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  it 
should  be  understood,  I  also  firmly  believe  that  nothing 
will  be  found  inconsistent  with  it  in  the  established  teach- 
ings of  natural  science:  I  do  not  say,  of  nature;  for  with 
my  unwavering  confidence  in  the  truth  of  the  Bible,  I 
3 


18  Inaugural  Address. 

would  regard  that  as  a  mere  truism,  the  utterance  of  which 
would  be  superfluous ;  but,  of  natural  science,  as  it  is  ex- 
pounded by  its  own  votaries,  and  as  its  propositions  are 
determined  according  to  its  own  laws  of-  investigation. 
Contradiction  would  necessarily  imply  a  want  of  truth 
some  where;  but  this,  I  think  it  may  be  made  to  appear, 
by  the  most  rigorous  reasoning,  does  not  exist.  And  in 
all  cases  where  there  are  still  unadjusted  apparent  differ- 
ences, which,  it  must  be  admitted,  do  exist,  it  can  be  shown 
that  it  is  infinitely  more  probable  that  they  result  from 
imperfect  understanding  of  the  meaning  of  the  "Word,  or 
of  the  bearing  of  the  scientific  truth,  or  both,  than  from 
any  real  inconsistency.  There  are  independent  proposi- 
tions in  intellectual  and  moral  science,  and  even  in  the- 
ology, which  are  seemingly  inconsistent,  and  almost 
contradictory;  and  yet  we  never  think  of  abandoning  our 
belief  in  any  of  them,  if  each  stands  on  a  firm  basis  of  its 
own.  In  no  case  do  the  imperfectly  understood  relations 
under  consideration  present  more  serious  difficulties  than 
these,  and  very  seldom  as  serious.  I  further  believe  that 
there  is  no  seeming  discrepancy,  where  the  denial  of  the 
truth  on  either  side  would  not  involve  vastly  more  per- 
plexing embarrassment  than  its  reception  on  both.  "We 
have  nothing  to  fear  for  the  records  of  our  faith  from  the 
freest  examination  in  every  direction.  Let  antiquity  be 
searched ;  let  the  created  universe  be  scrutinized,  as  far  as 
the  human  intellect,  so  gifted  by  its  Creator,  can  reach: 
though  in  the  process  we  will  see  many  errors  which  have 
clung  around  our  own  minds,  and  which  may  have  pre- 
vented our  seeing  the  meaning  of  the  Divine  word,  that 
Word  will  derive  continually  new  lustre  from  every  ad- 
vance in  knowledge,  and  unbelievers  will  at  each  step  be 
more  and  more  without  excuse  for  their  irrational  doubts. 
In  seeking  to  obtain  and  to  impart  a  suitable  acquaint- 
ance with  natural  science,  it  will  be  proper,  first  of  all,  to 
examine  the  logical  and  philosophical  basis  upon  which  its 


Inaugural  Address.  19 

brandies  rest.  In  the  analysis  of  every  science,  we  come 
at  last  to  certain  principles  on  which,  the  whole  fabric  is 
founded,  and  on  whose  truth  the  entire  trustworthiness  of 
the  whole  depends.  These  first  principles  can  not,  in  any 
case,  be  established  by  ordinary  reasoning ;  but  must  be 
such  that  they  command  the  assent  of  every  rational  being, 
as  soon  as  they  are  stated  and  understood.  After  having 
carefully  scrutinized  these  first  truths,  and  rejected  all  that 
can  not  endure  the  proper  tests,  and  determined  the  limits 
of  the  applicability  of  such  as  are  retained,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  pass  in  review  the  doctrines  of  the  several 
sciences  concerned,  and  to  weigh  the  evidence  in  favor  of 
each,  and  the  objections  against  each,  so  as  to  ascertain,  as 
accurately  as  possible,  the  exact  amount  of  confidence  that 
is  to  be  placed  in  them.  "We  will,  doubtless,  in  such  an 
examination,  find  much  that  we  must  receive  as  certainly 
true ;  much  that  is  certainly  false,  or,  at  least,  wholly  un- 
proven ;  with  much  that  presents  such  evidence  as  to  leave 
us  in  doubt.  Under  the  first  head,  I  would  place  the 
teachings  of  geology  respecting  the  antiquity  of  the  earth, 
and  the  gradual  nature  of  the  processes  by  which  the 
Creator  brought  it  into  its  present  condition:  under  the 
second,  I  would  place  the  teachings  of  such  ethnologists 
as  deny  the  specific  unity  of  the  human  family,  and 
of  those  who  maintain  the  extreme  antiquity  of  man: 
under  the  third,  I  would  place  all  that  affects  the  character 
and  extent  of  the  ISToachian  deluge. 

In  all  these  preliminary  discussions  and  investigations, 
only  such  evidence  and  arguments  as  strictly  belong  to 
science  should  be  admitted ;  and  these  should  be  allowed 
to  produce  their  legitimate  effects,  without  regard  to  pos- 
sible difficulties  in  which  our  conclusions  may  entangle  us. 
Our  cross-examination  of  the  witness  should  be  conducted 
with  the  design  of  learning  exactly  what  he  knows;  of 
eliciting  this  knowledge  from  him  unbiassed  by  any  fear  of 
evil  to  himself  in  consequence  of  his  utterances,  or  of  evil 


20  Inaugural  Address. 

to  either  of  the  parties,  since  we  examine  him  as  judges,  and 
not  as  advocates.  And  we  must  not  estimate  the  truthful- 
ness of  the  witness  himself  by  the  correspondence  of  his 
testimony  with  our  preconceived  notions;  but  these  we 
must  change  as  his  evidence  requires,  if  his  character  for 
undoubted  veracity  has  been  previously  established  by  the 
proper  tests. 

In  the  next  stage  of  our  inquiry,  the  absolute  truth  of 
the  ascertained  text  of  the  Bible  is  assumed,  as  having 
been  demonstrated  in  other  departments  of  instruction ; 
and  the  sole  object  here  will  be  the  determination  of  its 
meaning,  by  the  application  of  judicious  and  established 
rules  of  interpretation.  Here,  as  before,  it  will  be  grossly 
improper  to  attempt  to  make  the  language  bear  any  con- 
struction inconsistent  with  these  rules ;  to  torture  it  into 
accordance  with  our  preconceived  opinions  of  its  meaning, 
or  with  what  we  believe  to  be  true  in  science.  In  all  inter- 
pretation, we  ought,  assuredly,  to  have  recourse  to  the 
fullest  attainable  knowledge  of  the  subjects  spoken  of, 
derived  from  every  source.  And  while  it  is  true  that  we 
must  interpret  Scripture  by  its  own  laws,  it  is  not  less  true 
that  we  can  apply  these  more  efficiently,  and  with  less  lia- 
bility to  error,  in  cases  where  we  have  some  previous 
acquaintance  with  the  topics  introduced.  We  are  clearly 
aided  in  understanding  all  that  relates  to  the  tribes  and 
nations  mentioned,  by  a  knowledge  of  their  manners  and 
customs;  by  geography,  in  all  geographical  allusions;  by 
astronomy,  where  the  stars  are  concerned;  by  zoology  and 
phytology,  where  animals  and  plants  are  alluded  to ;  and 
so  in  other  cases.  We  are  not  to  try  the  truth  of  the 
Bible,  certainly,  by  its  supposed  agreement  or  disagree- 
ment with  the  teachings  of  these  sciences;  but  we  may, 
and  we  must,  accept  all  the  aid  that  they  can  bring  us. 
This  is  not  denied,  with  regard  to  the  subjects  just  men- 
tioned; but  when  other  sciences,  equally  well  established, 
are  added,  there  is  sometimes  immediate  dissent.     This 


Inaugural  Address.  21 

dissent  would  be  quite  justifiable,  were  the  attempt  made 
to  force  the  Bible  to  speak  in  the  language  of  science.     To 
do  this  would  be  quite  as  unreasonable  as  the  attempt, 
which  is  so  frequently  made,  to  force  science  to  utter  that 
which  will  accord  with  our  views  of  the  meaning  of  the 
Bible ;  and  it  should  be  strenuously  resisted.     But  I  see 
no  reason  why  we  should  not  accept  this  external  assist- 
ance in  doubtful  cases;  nor  do  I  see  why  the  assistance 
should  be  accepted,  where  some  scientific  principles  are 
concerned;    and   rejected,    when   it   is   offered   by   others 
equally  well  proven.     If  it  be  objected  to  these  views,  that 
if  science  can  be  justified  in  its  rejection  of  aid  from  the 
Bible,  by  the  same  reasoning  it  may  be  shown  that  the 
Bible  should  refuse  all  aid  from  science;  it  is  replied  that 
this  would  be  just,  were  the  question  of  the  truth  of  the 
Bible  on  trial ;  that  must  be  determined  by  rules  of  evi- 
dence with  which  natural  science  can  have  very  little  to  do. 
But  the  objection   is  manifestly  without  foundation,  when 
we  remember  that  the   natural  sciences    are  based  upon 
principles  which  it  would  be  foreign  to  the  design  of  the 
Bible  to  teach,  and  upon    material  phenomena  which  it 
would  be  unreasonable  to  expect  to   find  recorded   there 
in  scientific  form ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  inciden- 
tal allusions,   throughout  the  sacred    volume,   to    natural 
objects,  whose  very  incidental  character  it  is  that  renders 
them    unavailable    to  science   as    formal   descriptions   of 
phenomena,  presuppose  some  knowledge  of  that  to  which 
reference   is  made,    and  make  necessary  the   application 
of  that  knowledge,  before  the  allusions  can  be  understood. 
When  we  come,  in  the  third  stage,  to  compare  the  results 
of  these  two  independent  lines  of  inquiry,  we  ought  to 
expect  to  find  perfect  accordance  only  in  case  we  are  per- 
fectly certain  that  we  have  reached  the  absolute  truth  in 
science,  and  that  the  meaning  which  we  attach  to  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Bible  is  indubitably  the  true  one.     But  how 
far  are  we  from  this  position  in  both  directions  ?     As  we 


22  Inaugural  Address. 

have  seen,  there  is  much  that  passes  under  the  name  of 
science  that  is  only  probable,  at  the  best ;  and  much  that, 
while  it  seems  possibly  true,  as  long  as  it  is  viewed  by 
itself,  is  shown  to  be  wholly  impossible  as  soon  as  the  scope 
of  vision  becomes  broader.  And  who  will  say  that  it  is 
otherwise  with  our  interpretations  of  the  Bible?  Not, 
certainly,  that  there  is  any  doubt  as  to  its  meaning  when 
it  describes  the  relations  of  the  Almighty  Creator  to  the 
universe,  His  handiwork ;  or  the  ruined  and  miserable  con- 
dition of  man,  the  sinner ;  or  the  coming,  and  the  life,  the 
death,  the  resurrection,  and  the  ascension  of  our  blessed 
Divine  Redeemer ;  or  the  way  in  which  the  gift  of  salva- 
tion is  imparted  to  man,  and  the  agency  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  third  person  of  the  Trinity,  in  sanctifying  his 
soul ;  or  the  blessedness  of  the  redeemed,  in  that  presence 
where  there  is  fullness  of  joy.  In  all  that  relates  to  these 
points,  and  to  all  the  attributes  of  God,  which  He  intended 
that  we  should  know,  the  meaning  of  the  Word  is  so  clear 
that  a  wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool,  need  not  err  therein. 
But,  whenever  we  turn  aside  from  these  broad  tracks  of 
light,  we  find  that  the  diversity  of  view  on  every  subject, 
among  those  who  receive  and  love  the  saving  truth,  proves 
but  too  clearly  how  difficult  it  must  be  to  reach  the  exact 
meaning  of  that  which  is  revealed.  How  much  more  must 
this  be  the  case  with  regard  to  material  objects,  to  which 
the  references  are  but  casual,  and  without  any  direct  bear- 
ing whatever  upon  the  main  subject  of  discourse?  Who 
will  venture  to  assert  dogmatically  that  he  has  found  the 
exact  and  full  meaning  of  that  which  is  thus  casually  intro- 
duced ?  And  yet,  such  is  the  character  of  a  large  portion 
of  the  points  by  which  revelation  is  supposed  to  be  con- 
nected with  science. 

With  regard  to  the  record  of  creation,  it  may  fairly  be 
questioned  whether  it  is  possible  to  convey  to  us  in  human 
language  an  intelligible  account  of  its  mode  and  its  details. 
To  be  intelligible,  it  must  be  conveyed  in  language  whose 


Inaugural^  Address.  23 

meaning  has  been  previously  determined  by  common  use. 
This  determination  has  been  effected  by  the  application  of 
particular  words  and  expressions  to  known  objects  and  pro- 
cesses. Now,  it  may  well  be  supposed  that  the  work  of 
creation  is  so  entirety  different,  in  every  respect,  from  any 
thing  which  it  is  possible  for  us  to  observe,  and  thus  be- 
come acquainted  with,  and  from  the  ordinary  course  of 
change,  and  the  relations  in  which  material  objects  stand 
to  each  other  and  to  intelligent  beings,  on  all  which  lan- 
guage is  founded,  that  a  knowledge  of  its  details  can  no 
more  be  communicated  to  us  than  a  knowledge  of  the 
nature  and  properties  of  light  can  be  communicated  to  the 
blind.  But,  however  this  may  be,  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
the  way  of  imparting  a  knowledge  of  the  fact  of  the  crea- 
tion, and  of  all  its  moral  bearings,  as  far  as  they  aifect  us. 
But  when  we  seek  to  go  farther,  the  state  of  the  case  may 
be  analogous  to  our  knowledge  of  the  trinity  of  persons  in 
the  Godhead  ;  the  fact  we  know,  and  its  moral  import  to 
us ;  but  the  exact  nature  of  the  personality,  and  the  mode 
of  the  union,  we  do  not  know  ;  and  it  is  more  than  prob- 
able that  these  could  not  be  made  known  to  us  by  human 
language. 

In  view  of  these  considerations  ;  the  imperfect  character 
of  science ;  the  doubt  which  must  hang  around  many  of 
our  interpretations  of  the  Bible,  on  account  of  the  brief, 
and  therefore  obscure,  descriptions  to  be  interpreted ;  and 
the  probability  that  language  may  not  be  adequate  to  con- 
vey the  ideas  for  which  we  may  be  looking,  and  which  we 
may  infer  it  is  no  part  of  the  design  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
present;  we  may  expect  to  find  many  unadjusted  differ- 
ences, instead  of  perfectly  established  harmony.  When  the 
comparison  is  made  in  the  manner  described,  our  surprise 
will  be  to  find  that  there  are  so  few  apparent  discrepancies ; 
and,  further,  that  the  number  of  points  of  certain  connex- 
ion of  any  kind  is  so  small.  Complete  success,  in  the  work 
you  have  given  me  to  do,  would  be  attained,  if  the  real 


24  Inaugural  Address. 

relationship  were  positively  determined  in  every  case,  and 
this  were  to  be  shown  to  be  perfect  identity  or  visible 
harmony.  "Whether  or  not  this  will  ever  be  attainable,  I 
know  not.  I,  at  least,  do  not  hope  for  it,  and  I  will  regard 
myself  as  having  discharged  my  dnty,  and  fulfilled  all  rea- 
sonable requirements,  when  I  succeed  in  presenting  one  or 
more  possible  and  probable  views  of  the  existing  relations, 
compatible  with  belief  of  the  truth  of  both ;  and  have 
proved  that  the  reception  of  these  involves  infinitely  less 
difficulty  than  any  doubt  of  the  truth  of  the  Bible  :  thus 
showing,  with  regard  to  each  point  in  succession,  that  it 
furnishes  no  one  with  the  slightest  excuse  for  rejecting  that 
which  we  love  and  confide  in  as  the  word  of  God. 

In  conducting  such  investigations,  and  in  defending  the 
word  of  God  against  attacks  based  upon  natural  science, 
we  ought  to  be  continually  on  our  guard  against  a  dog- 
matic adherence  to  opinions  which  may  not  be  well 
founded,  and  the  denunciation  as  infidel  of  whatever  dif- 
fers from  our  own ;  and,  also,  against  a  facile  acceptance  of 
every  novel  and  attractive  hypothesis  which  may  spring  up 
in  the  field  of  science.  We  are  warned  of  the  danger  to 
which  we  are  here  exposed,  by  the  history  of  past  contro- 
versies, and  of  embittered  contests  between  interpretations 
of  the  Scriptures  and  views  of  nature,  all  of  which  are  now 
acknowledged  to  be  erroneous.  The  chief  danger  seems  to 
have  arisen  from  a  disposition  which  has  manifested  itself 
in  every  age,  and  which,  unhappily,  too  often  evinces  its 
continued  existence  up  to  the  present  day,  to  regard  every 
mention  of  material  objects  as  couched  in  the  current 
scientific  language  of  the  day ;  and  from  the  groundless 
belief  that  the  sacred  volume,  besides  being  fitted  to 
accomplish  its  chief  and  highest  ends,  is  also  a  text-book 
containing  the  whole  body  of  scientific  truth  of  every  kind, 
as  well  as  the  most  authentic  and  instructive  history  of 
human  affairs,  and  the  collection  of  the  sublimest  and 
sweetest  strains  of  poetry  in  existence. 


Inaugural  Address.  25 

I  confess  myself  unable  to  understand  how  a  proposition 
can  be  theologically  true  and  scientifically  false,  when  both 
the  theology  and  the  science  are  accepted  as  true  ;  but  this 
does  not  prevent  my  perceiving  that  the  statement  may  be 
true,  when  understood  in  one  sense,  and  false,  when 
understood  in  another ;  and  the  consequent  impropriety  of 
attributing  the  one  meaning  to  it,  when  the  other  is 
designed.  If  any  one  tells  us  that  the  sun  stands  still  for 
a  certain  period  in  the  winter,  and  again  in  the  summer, 
we  would  hardly  be  justifiable  in  replying  that  there  is  a 
gross  mistake  implied  in  the  assertion ;  that  he  must  be 
ignorant  of  modern  astronomy ;  that  it  stands  still  all  the 
time.  And  should  we  have  reason  to  receive  the  state- 
ment as  certainly  true,  we  would  not  think  of  making  it 
the  basis  of  a  new  astronomy,  of  which  one  of  the  princi- 
ples would  be,  that  at  certain  periods  of  the  year,  called 
the  solstices,  the  sun  is  in  a  state  of  absolute  rest,  and 
during  the  rest  of  the  year,  it  is  in  constant  motion.  If, 
in  a  case  like  this,  we  are  willing  to  ascertain  the  meaning 
intended,  surely  we  should  be  equally  careful  in  interpret- 
ing the  word  of  God;  and  should  avoid  taking  as  a  formal 
scientific  explanation  of  a  phenomenon,  that  which  is 
merely  a  description  of  it  in  ordinary  language.  Although 
this  principle  is  so  reasonable  that  no  one  would  ever  think 
of  calling  it  in  question,  it  has  been  in  practice  sadly 
neglected.  Systems  of  natural  science  have  been  invented 
in  direct  violation  of  it ;  for  the  support  of  which,  not  only 
have  the  allusions  to  nature  in  the  narrative  portions  of 
the  Bible  been  quoted  by  the  inventors,  but  also  the  bold- 
est figures  of  its  most  impassioned  poetry. 

The  danger  in  question  exhibits  itself  in  two  forms.  In 
the  one,  there  is  an  eager  desire  to  bring,  to  force,  if  need 
be,  the  sacred  text  into  accordance  with  the  last  doubtful 
utterance  of  science,  and  an  impatient  contempt  towards 
all  who  will  not  at  once  accept  as  demonstrated  the  newly 
discovered  harmony.  In  the  other,  although  there  is  pro- 
4 


26  Inaugural  Address, 

fessed  a  distrust  of  all  natural  science,  there  is  a  no  less 
real  accommodation  of  the  interpretation  to  the  somewhat 
antiquated  and  distorted  form  of  science  which  has  reached 
the  less  educated  classes  of  mankind ;  and  this  is  repre- 
sented as  interpreting  the  Word  by  its  own  light ;  assigning 
to  it  just  such  a  meaning  as  it  would  seem  fitted  to  convey 
to  the  unlettered,  unbiassed  mind  of  a  plain,  unsophisti- 
cated, honest  inquirer  after  truth.  In  whatever  form  it 
may  appear,  we  can  not  be  too  careful  in  guarding  against 
its  influence ;  whether  it  would  lead  us  to  commit  the 
"Word  to  new  hypotheses  on  the  outskirts  of  science,  in 
the  region  of  the  undetermined,  or  to  old  guesses,  which 
have  long  been  exploded  and  abandoned.  Profiting  by 
the  lessons  of  the  past,  we  will  require  ample  proof  of  the 
incorrectness  of  an  interpretation  which  has  long  been 
sanctioned  by  devout  men  of  learning,  before  we  give  it 
up ;  and  we  will  scrutinize,  with  jealous  care,  the  evidence 
by  which  all  new  theories  are  sustained,  affirming  new 
modes  of  connexion ;  and  we  will  hesitate  long  before  we 
adopt  them,  in  the  hope  that  we  may  avoid  changes  which 
may  so  easily  be  used  to  bring  discredit  upon  that  which 
we  most  highly  prize.  But,  while  thus  cautious  in  the 
examination  and  admission  of  all  professed  friends,  lest 
they  be  enemies  in  disguise,  and  lest  they  become  an  ele- 
ment of  weakness,  if  not  actual  traitors,  there  should  be 
equal  care  taken  to  avoid  the  other  extreme,  of  rejecting, 
with  scornful  contempt,  all  proffers  of  alliance  and  coop- 
eration, and  thus  doing  what  we  can  to  drive  those  who 
may  be  friends,  or  at  least  neutrals,  into  the  ranks  of  the 
enemy.  This,  too,  has  been  done,  to  an  unfortunate  extent, 
in  all  ages  of  the  Church.  There  has  been  too  often  a 
disposition  to  repress  all  freedom  of  inquiry,  and  to  de- 
nounce its  results,  without  any  impartiality  of  examination, 
as  opposed  to  the  letter  and  spirit  of  revelation.  The  day 
when  the  instruments  used  in  restraining  such  freedom 
were  material,  has  passed  away  ;  but,  unhappily,  others  are 


Inaugural  Address.  27 

still  used,  which  sometimes  inflict  not  less  pain.  There 
still  exists  too  much  of  the  old  spirit  in  the  purest  branches 
of  the  Church  of  this  day ;  a  spirit  that  would  crush  all 
progress  in  science,  if  such  progress  disturb,  in  the  least, 
cherished  vuews  which  may  be  without  real  foundation  in 
the  Bible,  by  the  employment,  not  now  of  material  instru- 
ments of  torture,  but  by  that  which  has  with  too  much 
truth  been  denominated  "odium  theologicum"  This  is 
utterly  at  variance  with  the  spirit  of  Christianity  and  its 
divine  charter.  And  it  is  at  variance,  also,  with  the  gen- 
eral practice  of  believers  in  the  Bible ;  for  with  regard  to 
most  subjects,  the  utmost  encouragement  is  given  to  the 
seeker  after  increased  knowledge ;  and  very  properly,  since 
every  new  discovery  is  found  to  be  an  additional  illustra- 
tion of  the  glory  of  God.  Such  encouragement  should  be 
given  to  every  inquiry  after  truth.  Not  merely  should  the 
inquirer  be  tolerated ;  but  he  should  have  reason  to  know 
that  he  is  regarded  with  approbation,  and  that  his  results 
will  be  received  with  candor,  while  they  are  subjected  to 
all  becoming  tests,  before  they  are  adopted  as  true ;  and 
that  his  name  will  not  be  cast  out  as  evil,  he  will  not 
find  himself  classed  with  unbelievers,  because  his  views 
may  at  first  sight  seem  to  be  inconsistent  with  received 
truth.  Let  the  Church  show  herself  the  patroness  of 
learning  in  every  thing,  as  she  has  done  already  in  most 
things;  and  let  her  never  be  subjected,  by  mistaken 
friends,  to  the  charge  that  she  fears  the  light,  and  can 
sustain  her  claims  only  where  this  is  partially  obstructed. 
Let  her,  through  all  her  members,  exhibit  that  love  for 
the  truth  on  every  subject,  which  is  some  times  directly 
forcibly  inculcated  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  which  is  so 
consonant  with  their  spirit  throughout. 

This,  then,  in  my  opinion,  is  the  spirit  by  which  the 
incumbent  of  the  professorship  should  be  actuated ;  these 
are  the  objects  to  be  sought,  and  the  plan  to  be  pursued, 
and  the  results  to  be   expected.     Direct  confirmation  of 


28  Inaugural  Address. 

the  truth  of  revelation  is  not  looked  for ;  it  is  not  needed. 
You  can  not  hope  to  render  more  firm  the  foundation  of 
the  mountain  of  granite.  But  the  fogs  which  hang  around 
its  base,  and  obscure  its  immovable  nature,  and  distort,  to 
the  beholder,  the  symmetry  of  its  acclivities^may  be  dis- 
pelled, and  thus  its  solid  foundation  and  true  proportions 
be  brought  more  clearly  to  view.  This,  I  believe,  the 
faithful  discharge  of  the  duties  belonging  to  this  chair  will 
tend  greatly  to  effect;  success  in  this  will  constitute  its 
triumph  and  its  glory. 

Complete  success  I  dare  not  hope  for  at  once;  but  I 
shall  labor  for  it  with  at  least  faithful  industry,  and  an 
honest  desire  to  attain  and  set  forth  all  the  truth.     And  I 
look  to  you,  and  to  the  beloved  Church  which  founded  the 
Seminary  of  which  you  have  been  constituted  Directors, 
and  whose    honor    and    purity   should    be    so   jealously 
guarded,  to  aid  me  by  your  counsels  and  your  prayers, 
that  I  may  be  kept  from  teaching  aught  but  the  unadul- 
terated and  unperverted  truth.     And  above  all,  I  look  to 
the  Head  of  the  Church,  and  to  the  Creator  of  the  TJni. 
verse,  and  to  the  Author  of  the  Word,  to  the  Triune  God 
of  truth,  for  that  wisdom  which  cometh  from  Him  alone, 
and  by  the  aid  of  which  alone  need  I  hope  to  glorify  Him 
in  the  position  to  which,  I  trust,  He  has  been  calling  me 
by  the  voice  of  His  Church. 


